Jon Sumrall and Florida must pull an inside straight to lure 4-star DL from SEC rivals

Jon Sumrall has had some nice surprises during his first recruiting season with the Florida Gators, but he could pull off one of his biggest shockers of the cycle on Wednesday when four-star defensive lineman Marquis Evans makes his final decision.

Evans, who took his official visit to Gainesvile from June 11–13, will make his announcement Wednesday afternoon between Florida, Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee and Miami. The blue-chip pass rusher out of Birmingham was leaning to conference rivals Auburn and Tennessee, but said the Gators made a huge surge to challenge his top schools.

READ MORE: Florida’s EDGE target from Alabama now at center of SEC tug-of-war

Florida is firmly in the mix for 4-star DL Marquis Evans

Evans may have fallen under the radar a bit with the fans because the Gators have emerged as a contender for Jalen Brewster. The staff is, of course, trying to stay in the battle for the top-ranked defensive lineman in the country. But Evans is not simply a fallback; he's a legitimate top-20 prospect playing in the state of Alabama that has the size (listed at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds) to provide looks as an edge rusher to put his hand in the ground as a traditional defensive end while having the versatility to move inside in certain situations. 

According to the 247Sports Composite, Evans is rated as the No. 17 player in Alabama and the No. 38 defensive lineman in the country. His composite ranking is 355th in the country, but 247Sports site rankings have him in their top 250 at 211th overall. Other offers outside his top five include Georgia, Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, LSU, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri and a host of others. 

Evans is a late riser, having only played organized football for a few years. After watching some tape on the emerging defensive line, site editor Ben Henderson had this to say about Evans:

"He is a rangy and lengthy presence who can track down QBs and RBs even when it seems like he is well out of the play. As plays start to break down, he has a motor to him that plays very well in the film room and is the type of thing you like to see out of a potential prospect."

How does Florida's defensive line class look in 2027?

Sumrall, defensive coordinator Brad White and defensive line coach Gerald Chatman have put together a solid group on the defensive line. The highest-rated recruit is four-star defensive tackle Cahron Wheeler and the rest of the group includes in-state prospects Stive-Bentley Keumajou Yondui and De'Voun Kendrick and three-star recruit Zahmar Tookes. 

READ MORE: De’Voun Kendrick just gave Florida fans a glimpse of why he is so intriguing

Obviously, the Gators are still holding out hope for Brewster, but things seem to be trending away from Florida and toward LSU as the primary challenger for the school he is committed to, Texas Tech. There might not be a single centerpiece to the class, but there are a few solid prospects that offer high ceilings. One thing the Gators lack in this class is a natural edge rusher. Evans might not be that guy, but he can play some edge and the ability for him to play inside and outside gives the group some much-needed additional versatility. 

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